How to Start a Blog

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What if I told you there was a way you could earn when you had free time on your own terms?

Thankfully there IS a way to do that, by starting a blog. Blogging can really change your life. It’s not a get rich quick scheme, but if you put the work in you’ll see results.

The first thing you’ll need to do is decide what to write about. You might consider something you have a lot of knowledge about or a passion about. There are lots of topics to choose from. One smart way to choose a blog niche is to select something that will do well on Pinterest. These topics include:

Travel

Family

Home

Parenting

Crafts

Finance

Small Business

Food

DIY

Outdoors

Fitness and health

Unfortunately, you can’t just write your diary online and expect people to read it. However, you don’t need to necessarily be an expert on the topic because you can research before you write. It will be a bit helpful if you already know the basics and its a subject you enjoy talking and writing about. You’ll want to write about something you’ll enjoy for the long haul.

After you decide what to write about you’ll want to be a domain because you need to be self-hosted. It can be difficult to pick a name. You might find going with “yourname.com” is the best way to go. This doesn’t box you in should your blog topic evolve over time (which may happen.)

There are lots of companies you can choose for hosting. The important thing to decide is if you want a self-hosted Wordpress blog or Squarespace. I like Squarespace for my blog but I have had Wordpress in the past. If you can code, Wordpress offers a bit more freedom to change things, but if you don’t necessarily want to get technical you might prefer Squarespace instead.

You’ll also need to choose a theme for your blog. There are free ones, but you may want to spend a bit of money if you go with Wordpress.

After all that you can start writing. Writing that first post might be overwhelming. My best advice for you is to just start. Your first post won’t be your best and honestly, that is the case for most of us. You’ll want to get out as much content as you can in the beginning so your readers stay on your site. You can plan your posts with the Erin Condren Deluxe Monthly Planner.

You’ll want to join some affiliate programs. Affiliates pay you money for using their links on your blog. When someone makes a purchase using that link, you earn a commission. The best way to use affiliate links is to write tutorials and suggest products you already use and love.

You’ll need to make sure you secure all the social media platforms you can with your blog name. Focus on one or two to master in the beginning, just make sure you grab your name everywhere.

Starting a blog can be a large time commitment but it can be a way to give you some freedom with how you make income. It’s a lot more fun than a 9-5 and can potentially make you more money. It will help you land freelance jobs, some passive income, and make lasting connections with other bloggers. It can even be an addition to your resume.

If you are asking yourself “Can you seriously make money blogging?” My main tip is to be self-hosted. This is essential if you want to monetize your blog. It also makes you look more professional to companies you will partner with. Blogging income won’t happen unless you are self-hosted. You can pick from these links: Bluehost, or HostGator.